Book Details

ISBN 139781849515061

Paperback308 pages

Book Description

Mahara is an e-portfolio system that allows you to build dynamic and engaging portfolios in no time. Use Mahara when applying for jobs, creating portfolios for certification and accreditation, for classroom projects, book reviews, to create your own social network and much more. This book will show you the many different ways in which you can use Mahara, and how to exploit the various components of Mahara.

The Mahara 1.4 Cookbook will introduce you to features you probably have not explored, and show you how to use them in ways you probably had not considered. The book also provides guidance in the use of Gimp, Picasa, Audacity, Word and other programs that can be used to create artifacts. It will provide you with techniques for creating everything from dynamic and engaging web pages to complete projects, interactive groups, educational templates, and professional resume packages.

By exploring the recipes in this book, you will learn how to use each of the various blocks and content areas including the resume sections, Journals, and plans. You will learn how to archive a portfolio, and set access levels. We will build an art gallery, a newspaper, use groups for collaboration and assessment, and use the Collections feature to build complex layered portfolios. You will also find recipes for building templates for standards-based report cards and teacher certification. The book is packed with ideas from the simple to the extremely advanced, but each idea is supported with step-by-step instructions that will make all of them seem easy.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Mahara for the Visual Arts

Introduction

Uploading and sharing a single image

Protecting your opus

Making a photo journal using Picasa

Journaling a project from start to finish

See also

Building a simple gallery

Using the Collections feature to create a gallery with an audio-guided tour

Chapter 2: Literature and Writing

Introduction

Uploading a group of documents, and sharing them using the Secret URL

A "Thought a Day" journal

A page of writing samples

A poetry chapbook

Thesis/research planning

Language acquisition journal

A Daily Gazette (Journalism page)

Chapter 3: The Professional Portfolio

Introduction

Adding content to Résumé

A simple curriculum vitae

The cover letter

References and recommendations

The complete package: Cover letter, resume, and letters of reference

Complex resume: the professional portfolio

The promotion and tenure portfolio

Chapter 4: Working with Groups

Introduction

Creating a group and adding members

Creating an interactive homepage for a course group

Creating a web page that features student projects

Creating templates

Creating a group newspaper using newsfeeds from student journals

Chapter 5: The Primary Education Portfolio

Introduction

Submitting and locking pages

Using a student journal to help students learn how to write a research paper

Progress reports and the transference of artifacts

A simple template for very young students

Creating and using a simple template

A student portfolio of the primary education years

A reading list (book reports)

Using slideshow to create a book

International project

Creating a classroom page to share with families

Chapter 6: The Social Portfolio

Introduction

Setting a theme and a layout for your profile page

Posting comments to a Wall

Chapter 7: The College Application Portfolio

Introduction

The Art Portfolio and The Common Application: Art Supplement

Using HTML to create your unofficial transcript

Creating an academic achievements page

The Common Application: Extracurricular Activities & Work Experience portion

Embed images and sound clips to create an art gallery with an audio guided tour

Use textboxes and some HTML coding to enhance portfolio design

Learn formatting tips and techniques including adding banners, and methods for building various forms of navigation

Learn how to embed components from outside Mahara including RSS Feeds, VoiceThreads, and more

Learn how multiple student blogs can be used to create a group newspaper

Construct a complete resume package, including cover letter, that can be easily and rapidly customized for multiple employers

Create an illustrated book that can later become part of a large portfolio view

Use Mahara to create a College Application portfolio

Authors

Ellen Marie Murphy

Ellen is a learning technologies specialist and educator with over 16 years of experience. She is an avid proponent of open source software, and tends to be an early adopter. Her first Moodle and Mahara implementations were during her tenure at The Sage Colleges, where she was employed as Director of Instructional Technologies. Currently the Director of Learning Technologies and Online Education at Plymouth State University, and the Higher Education Liaison to the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education, she remains actively engaged with all levels of education: K-20.
In 1998, while teaching at a middle school in Vermont, she was introduced to the concept of ePortfolios and has strongly supported the use of ePortfolios in teaching and learning since. She recently hosted a Statewide K-20 ePortfolio Day and hopes to make it an annual event.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Mahara for the Visual Arts

Introduction

Uploading and sharing a single image

Protecting your opus

Making a photo journal using Picasa

Journaling a project from start to finish

See also

Building a simple gallery

Using the Collections feature to create a gallery with an audio-guided tour

Chapter 2: Literature and Writing

Introduction

Uploading a group of documents, and sharing them using the Secret URL

A "Thought a Day" journal

A page of writing samples

A poetry chapbook

Thesis/research planning

Language acquisition journal

A Daily Gazette (Journalism page)

Chapter 3: The Professional Portfolio

Introduction

Adding content to Résumé

A simple curriculum vitae

The cover letter

References and recommendations

The complete package: Cover letter, resume, and letters of reference

Complex resume: the professional portfolio

The promotion and tenure portfolio

Chapter 4: Working with Groups

Introduction

Creating a group and adding members

Creating an interactive homepage for a course group

Creating a web page that features student projects

Creating templates

Creating a group newspaper using newsfeeds from student journals

Chapter 5: The Primary Education Portfolio

Introduction

Submitting and locking pages

Using a student journal to help students learn how to write a research paper

Progress reports and the transference of artifacts

A simple template for very young students

Creating and using a simple template

A student portfolio of the primary education years

A reading list (book reports)

Using slideshow to create a book

International project

Creating a classroom page to share with families

Chapter 6: The Social Portfolio

Introduction

Setting a theme and a layout for your profile page

Posting comments to a Wall

Chapter 7: The College Application Portfolio

Introduction

The Art Portfolio and The Common Application: Art Supplement

Using HTML to create your unofficial transcript

Creating an academic achievements page

The Common Application: Extracurricular Activities & Work Experience portion

Alerts & Offers

Series & Level

We understand your time is important. Uniquely amongst the major publishers, we seek to develop and publish the broadest range of learning and information products on each technology. Every Packt product delivers a specific learning pathway, broadly defined by the Series type. This structured approach enables you to select the pathway which best suits your knowledge level, learning style and task objectives.

Learning

As a new user, these step-by-step tutorial guides will give you all the practical skills necessary to become competent and efficient.

Beginner's Guide

Friendly, informal tutorials that provide a practical introduction using examples, activities, and challenges.

Essentials

Fast paced, concentrated introductions showing the quickest way to put the tool to work in the real world.

Cookbook

A collection of practical self-contained recipes that all users of the technology will find useful for building more powerful and reliable systems.

Blueprints

Guides you through the most common types of project you'll encounter, giving you end-to-end guidance on how to build your specific solution quickly and reliably.

Mastering

Take your skills to the next level with advanced tutorials that will give you confidence to master the tool's most powerful features.

Starting

Accessible to readers adopting the topic, these titles get you into the tool or technology so that you can become an effective user.

Progressing

Building on core skills you already have, these titles share solutions and expertise so you become a highly productive power user.